December 25, 2011

What Are the Chances of a White Christmas?

Climate change is also messing with cherished holiday dreams. David Biello reports

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I am dreaming of a white Christmas. Certainly, they were rare in Saint Louis where I grew up.

Looks like they are becoming rarer elsewhere in North America, too, according to a recent analysis of weather records by Environment Canada. Researchers examined data from 1964 to 2009 and found that the chances of more than 2 centimeters of snow on the ground on December 25th had declined by a quarter.

That’s bad news for the many Canadians who consider a white Christmas a birthright. Otherwise, why put up with the long, cold winters? Fortunately, they can just move further north where there's still a near certainty of snowfall by Christmas. But even in the Great White North the amount of snow is declining, according to the same weather records.

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Down here in the balmy States, the ground hasn't even frozen here in the Northeast, which makes it unlikely any snow that did grace us on the 25^th would stick around. So I guess we'll have to keep dreaming. Until we take action about climate change.

—David Biello

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]

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